HTML emails are still one of the most effective ways of connecting with potential customers, attracting them onto your site and calling them to take the required action, such as making a purchase, reading your latest news, making a registration or downloading a file.
But creating a successful campaign can be tricky.
The good news is I can help, providing you with all the expertise you need to choose the right email software, the right ISP, how to source opted-in email addresses, and how to create superbly designed, trackable email campaign that really delivers.
Here’s how I can help you with your next Email Marketing campaign:-
- Design your HTML Email & Newsletter
- Create plain-text versions for email clients that don’t support HTML
- Provide hosting options
- Include One-click opt-outs
- Provide the option to view the HTML newsletter or email online
- Advise on properly structured content
- Design emails to avoid SPAM filters
- Test across a range of email clients and ISPs
- Advise on Email best practices and relevant laws
- Performance Tracking
See my successful: email Marketing campaign »
Anatomy of a good HTML Email Newsletter
An enticing subject line: A good email subject line is the difference between your campaign being opened or ignored. The subject line must generate enough curiosity that the recipient feels enticed to open your email, even if they are normally quite resistant to email campaigns.
The top section of your email creates the biggest impression, as this the one that’s first viewed, often in the preview pane. Therefore it must be made crystal clear and easy to grasp in this section what your offer is.
A compelling call to action is essential to encourage your users to take the required steps necessary to fulfil your campaign objective, e.g. a sale, download, registration, ad impression or teaser for some future offer.
If the action is a phone call, your call to action will be a phone number and it needs to big and clear enough to make it as easy as possible for the user pick up the phone and make that call.
Personalisation is key to success. Response rates for your campaigns will be greatly enhanced by using the name or some other personal greeting within your email. As long as you are emailing a genuinely opted-in subscriber, this immediately achieves a one-to-one relationship with each recipient.
Always include an opt-out link that will unsubscribe the user with a single click. Failure to do this can really anger your recipient and make it more likely that you will be reported for spamming – which can be fatal for your campaign and damaging to your reputation.
Don’t forget your name and trading address – and not just for the legal eagles either. Users who are unsure if you are trustworthy will check to see if you include geographic and other contact data – i.e. your address and phone number – as this provides some form of proof that you are genuine, and not in fact emailing them from an Internet cafe, deep in the heart of Africa.
Measuring the performance of your campaign
When you send out a campaign the really interesting part begins. If you’ve got it about right, you will begin to get a stream of web traffic or phone enquiries as a result of your well-designed, planned and executed campaign. Apart from this, the sort of thing you will need to keep track includes:-
- Open rates
- Click Rates
- Conversion rates
- Unsubscribe rates
- Bounce-backs
- Viewing SMPT replies
- Sign-ups since last campaign
- Individual subscriber history
All of these measurable elements form your market intelligence, which you can use not only to improve the current campaign (for example re-sending soft Bounce-backs, i.e. email not delivered first time), but also to plan your next campaign in the light of the tracking data for even better results.
